


fitting in

by kiyala



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Jaegercon Bingo, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-08
Updated: 2013-08-08
Packaged: 2017-12-22 19:35:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/917245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Hermann and Vanessa are in love, and Newton finds a way to fit into that too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	fitting in

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my "K-Science" square for [Jaegercon Bingo](http://jaegercon.tumblr.com/post/57225250646/).

The first biologist that Hermann ever has to work with in the Kaiju Science research division is Vanessa Maurer. She's smart, she's determined to understand these creatures, and she doesn't have the time or patience to take shit from anyone, no matter how highly they might think of themselves. He likes her immediately.

She's not quite as serious as he is but that's okay. They balance each other out nicely. He works with her for three years before he's stationed in Alaska, where Marshall Pentecost is based.

He becomes the main consultant for all matters regarding the Breach. He works with several different scientists; physicists like him, biologists like Vanessa, chemists who study the toxic nature of the Kaiju Blue to try and find a way to reverse its effects on the environment. They're all pleasant enough to work with, though there are exceptions here and there. For the most part, Hermann is focused on doing his work. He's already made enough of a name for himself to distinguish his work from his father's but that's not enough. That's not what he wants. He's here because he wants answers—because they all do—and his methods are most likely to actually find them.

When he sees Vanessa again, after she's also transferred to the K-Science lab attached to the Alaskan Shatterdome, the first thing she does is kiss him. The lab is empty except for the two of them and so Hermann kisses her back. It's easy enough to take her lead, especially when she can read him so easily.

Eight months later and she's Vanessa Gottlieb. Pentecost keeps them together and they work better that way because they actually get along, unlike the time Hermann had been forced to work with Newton Geiszler for a month, before he'd been relocated to Hong Kong for easier access to Kaiju specimens. Hermann is grateful for it. He sees married couples being separated for months, years, as they throw themselves into work that won't slow down on their account, and part of him is afraid that the same will happen to them.

They manage to stay together until the sunset of the Jaeger Program, the world's governments rerouting their funding to the Pacific Perimeter Program instead. Pentecost isn't ready to give up just yet but with their limited funding, there are only so many people that they can keep on. K-Science is hit the hardest by this; entire teams of people are sent away until it's down to the two key researchers. Hermann is one of them. Vanessa is not.

By the time Pentecost calls Hermann back, Vanessa is pregnant. They'd wanted to start the family they'd sometimes spoken of having, to enjoy it while they could, before the world ended. She isn't the biologist they need, the way Newton is with his keen interest in the Kaiju and his knack for reverse-engineering their biotechnology. Still, Hermann is not the slightest bit pleased to be separated from Vanessa to be forced to deal with Newton instead.

While Vanessa is loud in a way that complements Hermann's quiet nature, Newton is loud to the point of exasperation. He's offensive and irritating, and that's even before he opens his mouth to speak. Vanessa has never had the chance to work with Newton but she hears a lot about him through the phone calls and emails, because Hermann is certain that the complaints he is submitting are going ignored and damn if he's going to let them go unheard.

Hermann isn't quite sure when his loathing for Newton turned into tolerance, or when that tolerance turned into something more. Their bickering loses its edge and his complaints grow less frequent. HR might not take notice of this, considering that they seem to be ignoring all complaints anyway, but Vanessa certainly does.

"When am I going to meet this man?" She asks when he speaks to her, and he can hear the laughter that she is barely holding back. "Do you tell him about your wife as much as you talk about him to me?"

"I don't talk to him," Hermann replies, shaking his head. "Why would I want to?"

This time she does laugh at him, and doesn't explain why.

Once the Breach is closed, Marshall Hansen gives the K-Science division a holiday before they continue finding out everything that they can about the Kaiju, and about the Anteverse. He encourages them to take as long as they possibly can, doing all of the work they can finish remotely before returning to the lab. He knows that Vanessa is due to give birth in April and tells them both that they aren't expected to return until after that. Hermann is so grateful that he doesn't stop to question why this also extends to Newton, because it only feels natural to keep Newton with him now. He goes over that thought again, alarmed at himself and blaming the Drift for it.

This doesn't change the fact that when they pack to leave, Newton follows him to Berlin instead of going to Boston. They sit beside each other on the plane in a silence that shouldn't feel as comfortable as it does. Newton falls asleep on the flight, his head resting on Hermann's shoulder. Hermann simply reaches over to tuck Newton's blanket around him a little more securely.

Vanessa meets them at the airport because she isn't patient enough to wait for them to get home. She's much bigger than she was the last time Hermann saw her and that thought makes him feel unhappy about all the time he's spent away, working, instead of being with her.

Newton must sense it immediately because he claps a hand on Hermann's shoulder and extends the other out to Vanessa. "You must be Vanessa. I heard a lot about you, through the Kaiju Science division. Not so much from Hermann though, can you believe that?"

Vanessa laughs, shaking his hand. "Actually, yes, I can. But don't you worry, I've heard plenty about you. I'm looking forward to seeing your tattoos. I heard that you design them yourself?"

"Aw, they're nothing much," Newton demurs, but he's wearing a pleased smile.

They talk the entire way home and Hermann finds it… pleasant. It's strangely nice to see them both getting along so easily and the best part is that it doesn't surprise him at all. What _does_ surprise him is the ease at which Newton fits into their lives. He refuses to be treated like a guest when Vanessa's pregnant and Hermann hasn't been home for such a long time. He helps to cook and clean and within the first two days, it feels like he belongs here with them. Hermann gets used to waking up to hear Vanessa and Newton in the living room, bowls of cereal half-eaten and forgotten as they play games on Vanessa's Playstation, talking about the latest research in their fields. 

Herman and Newton share the kitchen duties, which makes Vanessa incredibly pleased. She joins Hermann in the kitchen one afternoon as he's making coffee for them and wraps her arms around him, kissing his cheek.

"I can see why you like Newton so much."

"I don't," he replies automatically, even though the words have no real force to them.

"Hermann, my darling," Vanessa laughs. "Newton has been sleeping in our spare room for the past week now. You don't even let your relatives stay for the night. What does that tell you?"

Hermann falls silent, not knowing how to reply to that, but it's broken by Newton's loud, victorious whoop from the living room, where he'd been struggling to get past a level in one of Vanessa's games. 

Vanessa smiles, squeezing Hermann's arm and going back out to the couch. Hermann follows her out, carrying the tray with their three mugs on it, and watches as Vanessa sits down beside Newton, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Newton pauses the game, and when Vanessa presses a kiss to his temple, he goes very still.

He turns to Hermann, watching him warily. Hermann immediately knows what to do. Setting the tray down on the table, he sits on Newton's other side, close enough that their shoulders are touching. He pauses for a moment, trying to decide on which affectionate gesture to use, but then Newton grins at him, leaning over and pressing a light kiss to the corner of Hermann's mouth. 

Vanessa lets out a pleased huff, running her hand through Hermann's hair, then doing the same to Newton. "Can we keep him?"

"I object to that," Newton speaks up. "I am not a pet."

With a light chuckle, Hermann curls his fingers around Newton's wrist. "That's not what she meant at all. Will you stay?"

"Let me think about that—wait, _I don't even have to_. Of course I will. I'll stay for as long as you'll have me."

"Good," Hermann says. He tightens his grip on Newton with a small smile. "…Good."


End file.
